June 25th, 2008
15 Minutes of Fame
Blimey! I’m Podium Bothering
After 11 years of attending Mountain Mayhem without bothering the podium it seems that the organisers finally found a way to get my slow sorry arse up there, by awarding me the “Spirit of Mayhem” award for the “for a person or team that sums up what Mayhem is all about”. As I stood at the prize giving vaguely listening to tales of our boys in the Gulf doing laps on aircraft carrier decks I realised that the tale of the person who sprung themself from hospital to come and race was, well, me*.
Cue embarrasment and an empty head as I’m asked if I have anything to say. “See you all next year for a Dirty Dozen,” was all I could manage.
Damn if this race doesn’t hold some memories for me though.
Singlespeeders of Destruction, 1998
Forgive me if I go all bullet points…
- falling asleep on the start line on year one, waking up disorientated, and then stopping and crying against a tree trying to keep up with Gary Fisher.
- getting into the shower wearing all my clothes that same year. Whatever anyone tells you it has never been so filthy since.
- chasing down and catching Gary Fisher, on the last descent at Birmingham.** Well, once you’ve ridden it as many times as I had you got to know the lines.
- taking down the course at Birmingham in 1999 I found a Blackburn pump that I still use today.
- swapping a car for a pair of suspension forks for my first solo attempt.
- riding with my wife for her first ever night lap only for her lights to fail on the first climb.
- my new chain, bought from Tim Sideways mysteriously falling apart at the exact moment he passed me.***
- being fed cake and whisky at 8 o’clock in the morning by Jim and Jam.
- threatening to burn down Chipps tent with him in it at 2a.m. on the first year at Eastnor and one too many pushes up the Land Rover climb.
- missing my sisters wedding.
- Pat Adams shaking the hand of each and every finisher for ten years.
Ply me with drink and I can go on for hours…
In fact on the Sunday night after the event as we sit in the middle of a strangely deserted arena or campsite holding the now traditional barbecue and demolition of whatever food and beer remains I usually do.
Forgive me if I go all Oscar ceremony on you, as I say my thanks.
Thanks are due to Joolze Dymond for nominating me, Chipps for helping start the 24 hour thing and then having me on Team Singlespeeders of Destruction, Tim and Judith for providing all the bits to keep the bikes running for ten years and having me on Team Sideways, and finally and most of all my wife for The Rules, support, and encouragement.
Is that the orchestra I hear starting up and hinting at me to get off?
* The tale of the Red Hot Chili Peppers naked finish was untrue. That wasn’t Mayhem at all.
** He was on big wheels, I was on normal. Case rested m’lud.
*** You have to admit, that’s very suspicious.
Update
It made the Mayhem website too.
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June 25th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
A well deserved award. Well done Nick.
June 26th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Cheers Simon.
June 26th, 2008 at 11:46 am
“getting into the shower wearing all my clothes that same year. Whatever anyone tells you it has never been so filthy since.”
Too damn right.
Has it hailed at any others either?
Well done. I failed at MM2 as I assumed entry forms would be posted to participants from the year before.